Metempirical
by AudiophileChica
Summary: Deeks arranges a special field trip for Kensi... surfing!


Okay, here is my next Densi one-shot! Hope everyone enjoys and remember, reviews are my happiness and they are always much appreciated!

As always, NCIS: LA is not mine in any way, shape, or form.

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"Go home, people. Enjoy your time off," Hetty called out as she passed the bullpen. The team rarely knew where she came from when she suddenly appeared, but as long as she was telling them to go home, they didn't particularly care.

They had just wrapped up a fairly difficult case and all reports had been completed and submitted. The case had been dropped in their lap first thing Monday morning and had basically controlled their lives for the past eighty hours or so. It was now Thursday night and they were thoroughly exhausted. As a thank-you for all of their long hours and hard work, Hetty had told them to finish their reports and not to return to OPS until Tuesday morning. It was almost comical how quickly they had gotten all of their paperwork finished.

"So what's everyone doing on their much-needed long weekend?" Deeks asked as he began packing up his things.

Sam responded first. "White sandy beaches of Mexico. As soon as Hetty told us we'd have more time off, I called and extended the trip. For the next four days, I will not be thinking about you in the least."

Deeks smiled. "You mean you won't be thinking about work, right?"

"No, I mean you, Deeks." Sam's teasing tone made Deeks grin even larger, despite the actual words.

"Come on, Sam. You know you love me."

Sam scoffed lightly. "Yeah, about as much as I love—"

"You know what? Just let me have my illusions, Dude." Deeks laughed openly as he closed up his messenger bag. "What about you, Callen?"

Their team leader glanced up from packing his own bag. "You know, just the usual."

Deeks crossed his arms and stared at Callen for a moment. "Most people I know, I wouldn't have to ask this, but just what exactly is your usual?" Deeks's interest was piqued.

Kensi and Sam both chuckled from their respective desks. "Yeah, good luck getting an answer on that one," Sam laughed.

Callen simply smiled and looked up as he heard Nell and Eric coming down the stairs.

Nell stopped at the bullpen while Eric headed out the door with a wave. "Sorry, gotta go. See you guys Tuesday."

The team looked at Nell for an explanation. As usual, she had the inside scoop. "He's headed up North to Half Moon Bay. There's a major storm headed in just north of there and if he times it just right, he can catch the biggest and best waves Mavericks has seen in years. He's been a mad man about it since Hetty gave us the extra time off."

To everyone's amazement, Deeks actually looked a little nervous. "Biggest waves at Mavericks? Anyone happen to know who the beneficiary is on his life insurance policy?"

"Very funny, Deeks." Kensi laughed sarcastically.

Deeks didn't even crack a smile. "I'm actually not kidding, for once. Mavericks on a good day is exceptionally rough. Mavericks with a storm nearby… Have you guys ever seen "Point Break"? Specifically the last surf scene?"

Everyone silently cringed. Deeks continued. "Yeah, see why I'm a little nervous?"

Kensi finally spoke up. "Deeks, I'm sure Eric will be just fine. He's been surfing his whole life. He's smart enough to know his limits."

Deeks sighed. "I really hope you're right. I've seen Mavericks take down some of the toughest surfers, especially before a storm."

"And would that include you, Deeks?" Sam smirked. He was expecting the usual Marty Deeks witty, wordy comeback, but he was a little surprised by what he actually got.

The detective spoke his one-word answer softly. "Yeah…"

When he failed to elaborate, Kensi broke the silence. "So, Nell, what are your plans for the extended weekend?"

Nell shrugged nonchalantly. "You know, just the usual." She quickly changed the subject. "What about you, Kensi?"

Kensi took notice of the quick diversion, but didn't let on. "Probably catch up on sleep first, maybe hit up a couple of clubs, might go shopping."

Sam glanced around the bullpen before stage whispering, "Anyone care to guess what Hetty's gonna do?"

"Do you think she'll actually take the extra time off?" Kensi leaned forward onto her desk.

"Hetty can be a very unpredictable creature," G began to explain. "No matter what ideas we came up with, there's no way in a million years we'd ever get it right. Believe me, I speak from experience."

"Now on that point, Mr. Callen, you are most certainly correct." Once again, Hetty appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Now, are you all leaving anytime soon or do I need to find more work that needs to be done?" She seemed serious, but the glint in her eyes said otherwise.

"We're going, Hetty, right now, I promise," Sam replied as they all rose to head out.

Callen watched Hetty walk back to her office, then made his way over to Nell as he spoke. "You mind giving me a ride, Nell? I know Sam's in a hurry to get out of town."

"No problem, Agent Callen. You ready to go now?"

Callen nodded and began leading Nell towards the exit with his hand barely touching the small of her back. "We'll see you guys next week," he called over his shoulder.

Kensi bolted out from behind her desk and over to Sam's the second they were out of ear-shot. "Do they honestly think no one can tell?"

"G never openly gives anything away, but it's like he's not even really trying to hide it." Sam laughed lightly. "Did you see his hand on her back?"

"Oh, couldn't miss it! And did you hear how he said '_we'll_ see you guys next week'? We'll? Like he's already thinking of them as a single unit!"

Deeks was thoroughly confuse now. Kensi was giggling… giggling like a normal girly girl. There just seemed to be something wrong with that picture. "Uh, guys? What the hell are you talking about?"

Sam and Kensi stared at Deeks for a moment. Kensi finally voiced her question. "Are you serious? Did you not see anything that we just saw?"

When Deeks just stared back blankly, Sam began to explain. "G and Nell are together, Deeks. Not sure exactly how long yet, but they're definitely seeing each other."

Kensi chuckled as she headed back to her desk to grab her bag. "They think they're being so slick, not giving anything away, but it's so obvious! They even told us what their weekend plans were exactly the same way, word for word!" She began making her way out of the bullpen, Sam and Deeks following close behind.

Deeks still looked slightly befuddled. "How did I not know that? I mean, I see them both just as much as you two."

Kensi explained as they made their way out to the waiting cars. "I can spot it with Nell because we're both women, and no one knows Callen as well as Sam. I guess you're just screwed, Shaggy Boy." Deeks and Kensi stopped at her SRX while Sam continued to his Challenger in the next parking spot. "Have a good long weekend, Sam."

Sam nodded as he opened his car door. "You, too. Don't torment Deeks too much on the ride home. I don't want to hear him complain for hours on end when we come back next week."

"But it's just so much fun, Sam," Kensi replied.

Deeks just leaned on the open passenger door and fake-laughed sarcastically. "Ha-ha guys, very funny. You know, if this is how you talk about me when I'm standing right in front of you, I'm actually a little afraid of what you say when I'm not around." Without waiting for a response, he folded himself into the car and shut the door.

The two agents simply smiled at each other and got into their respective vehicles to head home.

The ride to Deeks's apartment was silent and uneventful which made Kensi more than a little restless. She pulled up to his building and put the car in park before turning to face her partner. She was cut off before she could even finish opening her mouth to speak.

"Thanks for the ride. Have a good weekend." The detective's words were uncommonly detached and he was up and out of the car before Kensi could even react.

Watching him make his way up the stairs and to his door, she was really tempted to go after him. She thought better of it, though, figuring it was best to not aggravate the situation immediately. She'd call him tomorrow and see how things went.

oOoOoOo

Kensi woke the following morning to the smell of fresh coffee wafting through her apartment. She thought back to the night before and realized that since she didn't know how long she would be sleeping in, she hadn't set the automatic timer on her coffee pot. On instant alert, she quickly reached under the pillow for her ever-present Sig. She gripped the handle of the gun and pulled it out, also sliding out the paper she had felt next to it. Her heart and adrenaline calmed almost instantly as she read the familiar script on the slip of paper.

_Don't worry, Fern, it's just me._

Kensi raised her head and stared up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to decide if she should laugh or scream in frustration. Sliding her weapon back under her pillow and deciding that 9:03 AM was an acceptable waking time for today, she climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she figured that taking a shower could wait until she had talked to her partner. He would just have to deal with her shorts, tank top, and bed-head.

When Kensi stepped into the entrance to the kitchen, the first thing she saw was her partner with his head buried in her open refrigerator. She had no idea what he was looking for, but she couldn't deny that the view from where she was standing was definitely not horrible. The distressed wash jeans weren't tight, but if she didn't know any better, she would swear that they had been made just for him. The gray Ed Hardy _Surf or Die _graphic tee was stretched over the muscles in his back and arms just right, and the entire look was set off perfectly by the black Doc Marten boots.

What the hell was going on with her? Since when did she pay so much attention to how her partner was dressed? Other than to make fun of him for the plaid shirts, of course.

Shifting her focus, she tip-toed over to the refrigerator door silently and peered over the top. Her partner, however, surprised her before she could surprise him.

"How long after reading my note did you contemplate before putting the gun back under your pillow?" He questioned lightly without looking up from the fridge.

Kensi folded her arms across her chest and smirked. "That depends, how long did it take you to get the note under my pillow without waking me up in the first place?"

Deeks stood up and closed the door of the fridge. He hooked his thumbs in his back pockets and stared at her for a moment. "I don't know exactly. It was touch and go there for a moment at one point, though. You rolled over onto your back and your shirt rode up quite a bit… blankets all tangled around your legs… started mumbling something about not calling you Fern…" He grinned and winked as her arms dropped and she stood a little straighter.

"What? Tha- that's ridiculous. Stop making stuff up and tell me why you're here. Not to mention how you got in and everything without me knowing."

Deeks walked to the coffee pot and grabbed two mugs from the cabinet above. "I didn't make any of that up, but nice diversion, partner," he teased. "First of all, I have a key, remember? Second, apparently you were more worn out from this past week than you thought. You were really conked out in there." Kensi gave a short incredulous laugh, but Deeks continued, his voice a little softer now. "I'm glad though. You needed the rest and relaxation." He paused for a moment to pour the coffee, then continued back in his normal voice. "So what was it that finally woke you up? Was I too loud out here?"

"The coffee, I smelled it brewing. When I realized what it was, I remembered that I didn't set the automatic timer. It pretty much shot me into agent mode. You're lucky I felt the note when I went for my gun." She took the mug he held out, but didn't drink yet. "Now stop avoiding my other question. Why are you here, Deeks?"

He paused to take a sip of the strong black coffee. "We're going on a field trip today," he said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Kensi raised her eyebrows in question. "A field trip? What kind of field trip, exactly?"

"Well, technically, it's a three-part field trip: shopping, learning, and observing. But first, breakfast. Go get dressed, comfy and casual as long as there's a bathing suit under it."

"Deeks, I'm not—" Kensi started to protest, but Deeks effectively cut her off by placing his index finger over her lips. The last time he made that move, it ended rather painfully for him, but self-preservation was apparently not his first priority today.

"Kensi, please. This is important to me, in more ways than one." His voice was unusually soft and serious. "Just trust me today. I promise, it's nothing horrible or torturous and it will hopefully make up for last night. I was hypersensitive and overreacted to something that had nothing to do with you and I ended up taking it out on you anyway. Will you just let me take the lead today?"

The agent was too stunned to do anything more eloquent than give a simple nod. She turned and carried her coffee mug back to her bedroom without a single word. She dressed in a sporty teal and brown bikini, covering it with short denim shorts and a teal tank top. She finished her coffee on the way to the bathroom where she brushed through her hair, then piled it on top of her head in a messy bun. Adding brown flip-flops to complete her ensemble, she made her way back out to the living room.

Deeks was sitting on the couch and was just pulling his cell phone from his ear when he saw Kensi enter the room. "Perfect timing. We'll stop for breakfast on the way." He stood and carried his coffee cup into the kitchen, rinsed it, and stuck it in the dishwasher. Returning to the front of the apartment, he headed for the door.

"Wait a sec, do I need to take anything?"

"Just your ID, phone, a smile, and an open mind," Deeks replied mysteriously as he held the front door open for her. "Everything else already is or will be provided."

She exited the apartment and waited while he locked up with his key. Following him outside, she expected him to head towards his Malibu. After this morning, she was only mildly surprised when he approached her Cadillac and opened the passenger door for her. "Do I even want to know how you have a key to my car?"

Deeks grinned. "Hetty." The one-word answer explained everything. He walked around the car and climbed in the driver's side. "Buckle up," he warned with a sly wink.

Kensi leaned her head back against the seat rest and closed her eyes for a moment. _What have I gotten myself into?_

They stopped for breakfast at a small bakery near Kensi's apartment. She wanted donuts, but he returned to the car with kolaches instead, insisting she needed the protein for their plans.

They both ate as Deeks drove and pretty soon, Kensi noticed they were in Santa Monica. "Are we going to the Pier?"

"Not quite, but close," he replied as he turned into a parking area near 3rd Street Promenade. They parked and exited the car and to be honest, Deeks was a little surprised Kensi didn't protest when he grabbed her hand to jog across the street to the row of shops ahead of them.

Kensi began to get nervous when he opened the door to a shop called Rip Curl. "What exactly are we doing in a surf shop, Deeks?" she asked, stepping in as he held the door open for her.

Deeks just smiled in response and headed to the counter towards the back of the store. Noticing the shop seemed to be void of customers for the moment, Deeks called out, "Hey, Mikey! Quit goofing off and get your ass out here, man!"

Mike Scott pushed past the curtain separating the store from the back room and approached Deeks with a huge smile on his face. "Marty, perfect timing! Just got everything finished up and ready to go," he said as they clasped hands in a signature California surfer handshake. "Chris!" Mike called to his assistant in the back room. "Take Shawn and get them strapped up, will ya?"

Chris stepped out and handed Mike a shopping bag. "You got it, Mikey." He turned his attention to Deeks. "Keys?"

"Silver SRX in the lot," Deeks instructed, tossing the keys to Chris smoothly. "Thanks, bro."

Mike came around the counter and handed Deeks the bag. "Dawn Patrol shorty, per your specifications." He smiled at Kensi then turned his attention back to Deeks. "Perfect choice, by the way."

Kensi finally spoke up with a cautious smile. "Do I even want to know?"

"Honestly, probably not," Deeks answered quickly, handing her the bag. "Now, dressing rooms are right over there, so go get changed." He turned her around by her shoulders and gently shoved her in the right direction.

She turned around and opened her mouth to protest, but immediately closed it again. The raw and honest emotion she saw in her partner's eyes changed her mind. Remembering his words to her earlier about trusting him and letting him take the lead for today, she turned back around and headed for the dressing rooms without a word.

Kensi stripped down to her bikini before gathering the courage to actually look in the shopping bag. Once she finally did, she was amazed at what she found. She pulled out the teal accented black Rip Curl shorty wetsuit and stared at it for a moment in awe before slipping into it and using the long zipper pull to close up the back. She stared at herself in the mirror and wondered how the neoprene suit could possibly fit her any better. After examining herself for just a few more moments, Kensi folded up her regular clothes and placed them in the now empty shopping bag. She slipped her flip-flops back on, grabbed the bag, and stepped back out into the store.

Deeks's back was to the dressing rooms, so Mike was the first to see her approaching. He grinned slightly and nodded over Deeks's shoulder for him to turn around.

Now, for most men, a woman in a wetsuit would be nice, but it wouldn't really be anything to write home about. However, for this man, this wetsuit on this particular woman was another story. He had called Hetty the night before and explained his plan, so when he asked her for Kensi's exact measurements, she wouldn't think he was crazy, perverted, or secretly had a death wish. He knew Mike was always at the shop early, so he had called and made his custom request first thing this morning. The extra preparation had most definitely been worth it. The wetsuit fit Kensi like a second skin.

Kensi smiled as she walked up to the men and, much to Deeks's surprise, actually blushed a little.

Before any of them could say anything, however, Chris and Shawn entered through the front and headed over to the group. Chris tossed the keys back to Deeks. "The one on the driver's side is yours," he said as he and Shawn headed back into the back room.

Deeks looked confused as he turned to his friend. "Mike, I said—"

Mike held up a hand to silence the protesting detective. "I know exactly what you said, Marty, and for the most part I ignored it. She's got the Pistol Whip and yours is the Animal." He winked at Deeks who was grinning like a kid in a candy store.

"The Animal, seriously?" Deeks's smile faded quickly, though. "Mike, I can't let you do that, man. It's too much."

Holding out another shopping bag for Deeks to take, Mike shook his head. "Not possible, Marty. Every day I'm breathing is another day I owe you. We're never going to be even in my book, so just let me do this."

Deeks smiled gently, took the bag from Mike, and nodded gratefully. He turned and grabbed Kensi's hand, leading her out of the store without another word.

The short walk back to the car was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Kensi had an idea as to what the general plan for the day was, but it wasn't until her Cadillac came into view that she really understood completely. The two gleaming white surfboards strapped to her car's roof left no doubt. "Deeks, I can't surf," she stated bluntly, stepping up to the Cadillac.

Their moves were almost synchronized as they put their respective bags in the back seat, then opened the front doors and climbed in the car. Deeks started the engine and winked at his partner. "I know, I haven't taught you yet."

The drive to their next destination only took about ten minutes. Venice Beach was crowded, but Deeks explained to Kensi that it was one of the easiest beaches to learn to surf.

Kensi was still completely convinced that this was a horrible idea and there was no way it could possibly end well. However, she was determined to follow through for her partner, no matter how unsure she was. As Deeks had always said, she was so used to being good at everything she did, but the more she thought about it, the more the idea of surfing actually scared her.

They finally found a parking space and climbed out of the car. Deeks grabbed the bag Mike had given him and set it on the ground before unstrapping the boards from the roof. Making sure she had a secure hold on her board, he grabbed his and the bag and led her towards the emptiest area of the beach. They stood the boards in the sand and Deeks began unpacking the bag. Mike had sent everything they would need, including beach towels, wax, and even a basic first aid kit. They spread the towels out and took a seat, taking in the sights around them.

"We'll hang out here for a bit, see what kind of surfers are out today, how the waves are, that kind of thing. I'll try to point out some of the rights and wrongs of the other surfers. It'll help to see that before trying to understand any actual instruction."

Kensi just nodded, determined to pay attention and really try to make this work. She sat with her partner for about an hour just listening to him explain exactly what she was seeing. When he deemed that part of the lesson over, he grabbed both of their boards and laid them flat on the sand. He taught her about the different parts of the board, why they were shaped the way they were, and the difference between their specific boards.

It was then that Kensi decided to ask him about the end of the conversation between Mike and himself. "So what was the deal with the boards earlier? He gave you a different one than he was supposed to or something?"

Deeks paused for a moment, staring at his surfboard. "All of this today was me calling in a favor to Mike. My current board is not in great shape right now, and it's not the best type to learn on anyway. I asked him for a couple of decent beginner boards that would be easy for you to learn on and it doesn't really matter what I use, so one of those was fine for me, too."

"But that's not what he did…"

"No, as usual, Mike was Mike. To understand what I mean, I have to explain something else first." He led her back over to the towels and they both took a seat facing each other. "Mikey and I used to surf together all the time. We were basically fearless idiots." He laughed quietly. "We were sitting around after a pretty decent set one morning when Mike got it into his head that we needed to make a trip up to Mavericks. He had been seeing on the news that there was some pretty nasty weather headed that direction and that the waves would be fierce." He paused again. "Fierce is an understatement. When we got there, the swells were already the biggest we had ever seen. We immediately ran in, thinking the bigger the better. We were okay for about an hour or so, but the waves were just getting bigger, sky getting darker. Mike saw a set coming in that he just knew was his." Another pause. "I couldn't do it. It was too rough, too large. I yelled for him not to go, that it was too dangerous, but he went anyway. I was, of course, behind the wave, so I never did see when he lost it and went under, but when the wave finally broke and made it in, I couldn't see him anywhere. I had to wait for the next wave to pass and break in front of me before I could paddle in or it would have taken me down, too. By the time I finally saw him, he was being tossed around pretty roughly, face down. His board was still attached by his ankle cuff, so I pulled it over and rolled him onto it. I could see another wave on its way and I knew it would break right over us. I unhooked the strap from my ankle and let my board go, climbed on top of Mike on his board and held on for dear life. The wave hit and sent us reeling, but I never let go of him and that board. As soon as we surfaced again, I jumped back in and started pulling him to shore. Once I got him on the beach, I started CPR, but I was sure it was too late. Plus, I didn't know if he had any other injuries, so for all I knew, I had just made everything worse. It felt like it took hours, even though I think it was actually less than a minute, but he started coughing and sputtering… best damn thing I had ever heard in my whole life."

Kensi was stunned. It was no wonder he had been so freaked out when he found out Eric was going to Mavericks to surf a storm. "So that's what he meant about owing you?"

Deeks nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, I'd been waiting for this new board to come out, and when it did, I decided that waiting for the price to come down a little was probably a wise decision. Mike took it upon himself to not only give me a great new board for you, but to also give me the new board I'd been waiting for. Like I said, Mike was Mike." He smiled softly.

"And the wetsuit?" she asked curiously.

His smile grew. "I figured you would be more comfortable learning to do something out of your element if you didn't have to worry about your bathing suit falling off or something." He chuckled. "I actually talked to Hetty last night and she gave me your measurements so I could tell Mike. That way he could make sure and have the right size ready. When I talked to him this morning, he said he had one that was perfect and he would go ahead and alter it to your measurements so that it would fit you like it was made for you. Obviously, he was right."

Kensi's phone beeped from the beach towel signaling a text message. It was from Nell. _Just letting you and Deeks know, Eric texted, he's fine, surfing was great! _She showed the message to Deeks and let herself relax a little more as she saw his eyes light up and he breathed a sigh of relief. Kensi looked over at the surfboards and smiled. "So that means the wetsuit and the board are actually mine to keep? Not just on loan or anything?"

"Yep, all yours… You think you'll ever want to use them again after I'm through with you today?" He winked impishly.

She stood and held out her hand to help him to his feet. "Let's find out."

oOoOoOo

Hours later, Kensi was sore, tired, and exhilarated. It had definitely taken longer to pick up than most other things she tried, but once she started getting the hang of it, she was hooked. Also, she had to give props to her partner. Deeks was a really good teacher. He was patient and helpful and actually explained why things were done the way they were instead of just telling her what to do. She hadn't been too sure of the whole thing in the beginning, but now she was convinced this wouldn't be her only surfing lesson.

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And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed! Remember, the more reviews, the more inspired I am to work on more stories! LoL!


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